Improvement in refrigerating-houses



h 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

DeW. O. SANFORD. l Refrgeratng- H0use- Y No. 217,552. Pat'ent'ed July15, 1879.

ATTEST:

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LIYHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

` 4s11-ee1ssneet DeW. lC'. SANFORD. Refrigerating-House.

No. 217,552. 'Patented 1u1y15,1879.

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` l l l x Se ATTEST: A 1 INVENTR:

N. PETERS. PHOTOYLINQGRAPMER. WASHINGTUN, l; CA

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

new. o. SANFORD.' Reffigerwing-House.4 No. .217,552.K

Patented .luly 15, 1879.

ATTEST .m @www RFEF-RS. PHOTOvLITHDGRAPNE. WASHINGTON. D C.

4 Sheets-Sheet'fl.

new. c. SANPGRD. Refrigerating-House.

No. 217,552. Patented Juiy15, 1879.

errer"A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DE VITT O. SANFORD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO ELIZABETH H. SANFORD, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT I'N REFRlGERATlNG-HOUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2l 7,552, dated July 15, 1879; application filed January 4, 1878.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DE WITT O. SANFORD, of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating-Houses, of which the following is a full, clear, and cxact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a refrigerating-house embodying my invention, taken on the line o: of Fig. l2; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line ml xl of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section taken on the line .r2 m2 of Figs. 1 and 2, Figs. 4, 5, 6,7, and 8, details, being vertical sections, showing the' root` and sun-v protecting wall and various modifications of the ilues therewith connected; ,and Figs. 9 to 21, inclusive, vertical longitudinal sections of the building, (the roof not being show`n,) illus trating different modes of passing the refrigerating-currents through the building.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

The present invention is applicable to meatcuring, packing, and preserving establishments, to breweries, beer-caves, wine-vaults, vessels, railway-cars, hospitals, houses, stores, cellars, saloons 5 to portablerefrigerators, such as for hotels, stores, saloons, and houses; and to other buildings, structures, places, and purposes where refrigeration, desiccation, or ventilation is desired.

The distinguishing feature of the invention is employing refrigerating air-currents in a horizontal direction.

The invention further relates to the means for directing and controlling the rcfrigeratin gcurrents. f

lt also has reference to the mode and means for utilizing the drip-water.

It further has reference to the construction of the outer walls and roof of the building.

The construction employed in carrying out the invention consists, mainly, of an apartment wherein air is cooled, and a series of refri gerating-apartmen ts, through which the air, after being cooled, travels to and fro in, a horizontal direction, the air leaving the air-cooling apartment at the lower level thereof, and, af-

ter traversing the rei'rigerating apartment, passing into the air-cooling apartment again at the Lipper level thereof, and the current being due to the difference in weight of the colder air in the air-cooling apartment and the warmer air in the refrigerating-apartments.

The refrigerating-apartments may be arrangedside by side and upon the same level or they may be one above the other, and the air, after passing through them, may be discharged into the open air, and fresh air may constantly be taken into the air-cooling apartment, in place of using the same air over and over. In all cases, however, the refrigeratin g-apartments themselves constitute the lues for the air-current, and the latter is caused to move horizontally through them, saving when the series of refrigerating-apartments are arranged one above another, and in such case Vthe current is partly in a vertical directionviz., in passing from alower story to an upper one.

Referring to the annexed drawings, A represents a building embodying the invention. B represents the apartment wherein the air to be used in the refrigerati11g-apartments is cooled and dried. For this purpose any suit ablecooling agent, system, or apparatus may be employed. I preferably usc ice, placing it in a crib, O.

The ice should be arranged to expose as much surface as is practicable to the air, so as to cool the requisite quantity of air as speedily as possible. To this end the upright and cross slats ofthe crib should be spaced apart the farthest practicable distance, and at the same time sufficient space must be left between the crib and the walls of the apartment and around the ice for abundant air to freely pass.

I prefer constructing the crib so that its top, sides, and bottom are exposed to the air; but it may extend to the floor and against the walls of the apartment, providing a space or flue isleft open through which the air can descend in contact with the ice.

The crib may be movable or axture, audit should be made so that the icc can be introduced either at its sides or top.

To obtain the best results, the body of ice should extend as high as the lower edge ofthe upper opening, c.

D represents a reservoir, arranged beneath the ice, to catch the drip-water and hold it for use, as hereinafter described.

C represents the partition-wall between the aircooling chamber and the refrigeratingapartments. There are openings, c and c', respectively, at the top and bottom ot' this wall. Through the lower one, c', the air passes from the chamber B into the reirigerating-apartments, and through the upper one, e, it returns from the refrigerating-apartments into the chamber B. These openings are fitted, respectively, with doors or valves E E', by moving or closing which the circulation of the air th rough the entire refrigerator can be regulated or stopped at will.

F F1 FZ F3 represent a series of four refrigerating-apartments, corresponding to a fourstoried house, being separated by close iioors or shelves fffz, extending horizontally across the length and breadth of their respective apartments, excepting that an opening, G G1 G2, is left at the ends or sides alternately farthest from and next to the air-cooling chamber B. These openings are for the passage of air from one horizontal apartment or story to the next one above it. By this arrangement the refrigerating-apartments become a series ot' horizontal tlues, which, with the openings connecting them,form a continuous circuitous tlue, (of uniform cross-section, or nearly so,) connecting the lower opening, c', with the upper opening, c, of the chamber B, and through which the air circulates, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. l.

'H H represent openings (having doors h h, that can be tightly closed) in the top of the uppermost retrigerating-apartment, to allow the discharge of air, when desirable. I represents a similar opening, similarly closed, in the top of the air-cooling chamber, to admit fresh air into that chamber when desired.

The operation is as follows: Ice being placed in the crib (l, and all the exterior openingsl of the refrigerator being closed and the doors E E being opened, the air in proximity to the ice, becoming cooled, and therefore denser and heavier than the air in the refrigerating-apartments, descends through the air-coolin g chamber, and thence, through the opening c', out into the lower refrigerating-apartment, F. The current traverses this apartment horizontally, and thence passes upward, through the opening G, into the next apartment, F1, and so on,V

is again cooled, dried, and purified, and from whence it re-enters the refrigerating-apartments to repeat its work, the current being generated without auxiliary aid.

rlhe air .contained in all these connected apartments may be likened to an endless chain, no part of which can move or stop without all of it moving or stopping; and by opening or closing the valves at either of the openings c c', or by operating a valve at any other desired point in the path of the current, the latter can be controlled accordingly.

The course ofthe air through the refrigerating-apartments F Fl F2 F3, it is seen, is both horizontal and vertical, the horizontal and vertical currents bein g connected, forming one continuous current, that ultimately ascends and enters the aircoolin g chamber at the upper level thereof.

Only the horizontal portions ot' the current are used for refrigerating, the vertical portions serving merely as connections to complete the circuit.

All the openings and spaces for the passage of the air should, in cross-section, not onlybe large enough to permit (when desired) air to v pass throughout all the various apartments of the refrigerator in sufficient quantity to abstract the heat from the articles being refri gerated, but the entire flue, throughout its length, from the point where it leaves the air-cooling chamber to where it enters it again, should be as nearly as is practicable of uniform orosssection, to enable the air to pass freely and rapidly, and so as to abstract the heat as speedily as possible.

Whe-n the refrigeratin g-apartmen ts are fully occupied, (as in a meat-packin g establishment,) the articles being cooled I estimate will obstruct about one-half the air-space.. Hence the openings c c and G GPG?, and all that portion ot' the flue not used for refrigerating, should be about olie-halt` the area otl that ot' the cross-section of the apartments F Fl.

The air-space in the chamber B should be proportionately spacious, and, as a general rule, in order to obtain the best results, it may be stated that after making allowance forthe space occupied by the articles being cooled in the refrigerating-apartments, the remaining portion or portions of the entire flue (meaning the apartments and openings for the time being employed) should be nearly or quite uniform in cross-section.

As thus far described the various openings G Gl G2 at the ends of the floors of the refrig-V erating-apartments F F1 F2 have been considered permanent; but by making openings G3 G4 G5 at both ends of the iioors, and providing doors or valves g g1 g2 g3 g4 g5 to close them at will, and by placing doors (swinging either vertically or horizontally) or vertical partitions J J across the reirigerating-apartments at the edge ofthe openings, and by properly adjusting said doors and partitions, the current of retrigerating-air may be thrown through either or all of the lrefrigeratingapartments, or cut ofi' from any of them at pleasure.

Some otl the modes of diverting the air-current are illustrated by Figs. 9 to 20, inclusive, all of which are vertical longitudinal sections. The general construction may also, without departing from the principle of the invention, be modified by arranging a series of refrigerating-apartments on each side of the air-cooling chamber, or by placing the latter at the side of the refrigerating-apartments.

The air-cooling chamber also may be arranged differently. It may be placed above the refrigerating-apartments, or it may be removed from the immediate vicinity of the latter, and in either case be connected there with by suitable fues.

The velocity of the aircurrent is in proportion to the height of the ice in the air-cooling chamber, and, consequently, the height of the column of cold air in the air-cooling chamber. Therefore, to obtain increased velocity, the air-cooling chamber and its interior arrangements may be placed or built higher than the refrigerating-apartments, whether the latter are arranged side by side, or one above the other.

The improvement may also be applied to a two-story house as well as to a house of more stories.

The house can be ventilated as well as cooled by opening the valves It t' and allowing the air-currents to pass as indicated in Fig'. 2l,`the external air being admitted through the opening t', and, after being passed through the apartments as desired, being discharged through the opening' lt.

Openings similar to c c, Fig. 1, connecting any one of the stories F F2 directly with the air-cooling chamber, can be made, if desired, through the wall of the chamber B, through which openings lthe cold air can flow into the ret'rigerating-apartments, as previously described, providing the ice in the chamber B extends above the opening in question; but when any of said last-named openings are to be used all other lower openings for the outiiow of air from the aircooling chamber should be closed.

It appears from the foregoing that. the air, after leaving the air-cooling chamber, is moved bodily in a horizontal direction. Not merely ,a portion thereof, such as an upper stratum,

but all the airentering the refrigerating-apartments 1s passed horizontally throughout the same. This method has several important advantages. By means of it stagnation is pre-v vented in any portion of the apartment or apartments being refrigerated. The refrigerating-eurrent can be thoroughly controlled and directed not only into vany desired apartment be sent to a great distance from' the air-cooling chamber, making it practicable to use refrigeratingapartments several hundred feet in length, the invention now being in use i-n a meat-preserving establishment and a porkpacking establishment having several retrig erating-apartments, each, respectively, fifty and one hundred and twentyfeight feet in length. By this means more oor area and retrigerating capacity,in proportion to the size of the air-cooling chamber, is obtained than when the refrigerating-current is sent in a vertical direction.

The invention is also especially valuable in a meat-packing establishment where the meat is stored in bulk upon the door, frequently in a moist condition. ln such case it is impracticable to perforate the oor and to use a vertical refrigerati11g-current, as the articles themselves obstruct the circulation of the air by closing the perforations, and the moisture drips through the perforations into 'the apartment or lue beneath. This difficulty is avoided by the present method, a tight floor thereby being made practicable.

l/Vhile in most cases the natural flow of air throughout the construction is sufficient in quantity and velocity for accomplishing the desired results, it may, for some eause,as when the ice is getting low in the air-cooling chamber, be desirable to increase and strengthen it1 which may be done by using a fan or blower, and at the same time providing a suiicient exposure of ice-surface in the air-cooling chamber.

The invention further has reference to the mode of utilizing the cold water produced by the melting of the ice. Such water has heretofore been applied to the cooling of air, but

at the bottom of ice-chambers; but l claim that such application is not highly advantageous, for the reason that the air in the lower part of the ice-chamber is about as cold as the drip water. The latter has also been used to cool external apartments by passing it through pipes or reservoirs placed in such apartments. I therefore disclaim the use of drip-water in the above-mentioned Ways.

My improved method is as follows The warmest air in the air-cooling chamber is at the upper level thereof', and consequently that is the point where the cold drip-water should be applied to be the most effective. It should be applied to the cooling of the air on its way to the ice, and thereby increase the effective cooling power oi' the air-cooling chamber, and diminish the consumption ofthe ice. I obtain this result preferably by means of apipe, M, extending from the drip water reservoir upward to the space above the ice, and thence, preferably, across and through this space a number of times, (to obtain cooling-suriace,) and tinally passing outof the air-cooling chamber. The upper part of this pipe should be of thin metal or other heat-conducting material.

The cold drip-water, by any suitable means, is made to pass from the reservoir up and through the .pipe M, and thence to be discharged therefrom outside the air cooling chamber. The pipe being chilled by the cold water circulating through it cools the surrounding air above the ice, and thus the dripwater is caused to co-operate with the ice. rlhe outer end of the drip-water pipe may be extended below the level of the water in the reservoir, and the entire pipe be made to act as a siphon, provided the height is not too great. The ilow of water may be regulated by a cock, m, at the discharging-end of the pipe. The pipe in its course may be formed into any shape that will extend its coolingsurface and increase its efciency as a cooling agent.

If desired, the water may be forced up into a reservoir, and from the reservoir be allowed to iiow intopipes or opentroughs in the top of the air-cooling chamber, thence to pass out, as before described.

In practice, the drip-water, even after it issues Jfrom the air-cooling chamber, is still sutliciently cool to be further utilized. To this end the pipe M is conducted into another rei'rigerating-apartment, N, where it may be formed into a close coil, n. The pipe M may thence be extended into and through a refrigerati11g-trough, O, and thence into and through a refrigerating-apartment, P', and ai'- terward be finally discharged.

The apartment N may contain (to be cooled) water or other liquid or air. If the latter, the apartment should be inclosed. rlhe trough O is intended to contain any liquid that it may be desired to cool. One aim and advantage in cooling water in this way is, that the dripwater, which is Oenerally somewhat impure, does not mix or come in contact with the water or liquid being cooled.

By `closely eoiling the pipe in forming the coil n a iiue is formed in the apartment N. It should be placed as near the top of the apartment as possible after leaving sufficient space above it for the liquid or air, as the case may be, to pass over and int-o the iiue. Space must also be left between the coil and the iioor ofthe apartment for the air or liquid to pass ont from the lower end of the iiue. rlhe coil being cooled by the circulation therein of the d: i p-water, adownward current in consequence is generated within the due. The air or liquid without the pipe becoming cooler and heavier, descends and passes from the bottom of the iiuc out into the apartment, while the warmer air or liquid is flowing into the flue at the top. A circulation through the flue of all the air or liquid in the apartment is thus maintained, resulting in the rapid cooling of the air or liquid, for the latter is drawn in a volume through the iiue. The circulation is still further promoted by placing a casing or jacket, n', (open above and beneath,) around the coil, and thereby forming another (annular) flue between the casing and coil. It is preferable in forming the coil u to wind the pipe M from the bottom upward, so as to bring the warmest air or liquid in contact with the warmest part of the coil first, and afterward with the coldest part.

The drip-water pipe M, as it passes through the various apartments above described, may be formed into any shape that may be most advantageously applied to accomplish the desired effect. For instance, it may be increased in width to cover the inside ofthe top or roof of an apartment or railway-car, to protect the apartment or car from the heat of the sun.

The invention further has reference to what I term the "sun-protecting wall" and the airiiue connected therewith, and to the construc- V tion of the roof of the building.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, S, Q represents a wall, built outside and afew inches from the main wall a of the building, forming a space or iiue, D', between the two walls. There are openings q in the lower part of the wall Q leadiugfrom the outer air into the lue Q. The combined areas of the openings q should be equal, or thereabout, to the crosssectional area ofthe iiue Q', and the openings are provided with valves q', that can be opened or closed when desired.

VYThe i'lue or space Q extends upward, opening at a point above the refrigerating-apartments of the house, and either directly into the open air, as at R, Fig. 8, or into the open space S immediately beneath the roof T, as in Figs. 6 and 7, or into a iiue or space, U, constructed in, on, or immediately under and next to the root', as in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5.

The roof-flue U is practically a continuation ofthe iue Q', and it performs the same ottice with respect to the roof as the flue Q does to the wall'of the building.

I'n operation, when the sun-wall Q has by the sunshine become heated through so as to heat the air in the iiue Q', so that it is warmer than the external air, the Valves q' should be opened, admitting the cooler external air into the flue Q' to supply the place of the warmer air, which ascends and escapes through the i'lues R, S, or U, as the case may be, into the open air.

By this means the heat of the sun, which otherwise would fall directly upon the main wall a and be absorbed by it and conducted through it, is warded oft' and. received by the sun-wall. A large portion ofthe heat received by the sun-protecting wall Q would be con veyed to the main wall c were it not for the intervening current of cooler'air, which is allowed to pass through the flue Q' and carry the heat olf until the protecting-wall Q isv cooled down to the temperature of the external air. rlhis operation is particularly beneiieial when the sun,after shining hot, becomes obscured by clouds, or sets, and the temperature of the external air falls. Then the cooler external air passes through the openings q, and aseends through the iiue Q', and the absorbed heat ot' the protecting-wall is thus carried off from the building.

While the air in the ue Q' is cooler than the external air the inlet-valves g should be kept closed, thereby retaining the cool air in the iiue. If this is not done the cool air in the flue will descend and escape through the lower openings, and t'nus a current of descending air will be cooled by the main wall a, and the aim of this feature of the invention be frustrated. Hence the valves q are indispensable in securing the full benet of the sun-protecting wall Q.

. 'Ihe construction and operation of the flue Uin the roof arebased upon similar principles. This last-named flue may be used Without the flue Q, as in Figs. l and 4; or in combination therewith, as in Figs. l, 5, and 7; or the two lines, U and Q, may be both used, but independently. In all cases it is desirable, and especially when the flue U is used independently, to employ a valve, u, to close the lower end of the flue U, to prevent the descent of air therein, as above described, in connection with the flue Q.

The outlet, whether of the ue Q or U, should be constructed and arranged so that the air therein, in its upward course, will meet with no resistance, such as a counter-current arising from the wind without the building. To this end the outlet of the wall-flue Q (when the latter is used independently) should open upward, as in Fiff. 8, and not outwardly from the side of or through the wall Q, for in such case the wind, when blowing against the f outlet, would cause a descending current in the ue. The outlet of the liuc U is` preferably constructed as shown. The valves for closing the inlets to the tlues Q and U may be made and operated in any suitable manner.

When the outlet from the air-cooling chamber into the first of the refrigerating-apartments is not made coextensive with the end ofthe refrigeratin gapartment, and is confined to the lower level of such apartment, a pocket of warmer air is sometimes formed in the apartment immediately above the outlet from spectively connected, without any intervening refrigerating-compartments, with an air-cooling chamber, forming a continuous endless flue, for the purpose described.

2. The combination, in a refrigerator or refrigeratinghouse, of an ice-chamber and a refrigerating-compartment, the latter being connected with the formerby an opening or flue leading from the lower part of the ice-chamber, and also by another opening or ilue leading into the upper part of the ice-chamber, and having one or more imperforate partitions or iloors extending from the wall of the apartment nearest the ice-chamber and between said openings or tlues horizontally across said compartment, and provided with openings at one or both ends, for the purpose of directing the flow of the refrigerating air-current, in the manner described.

8. rIhe combination, in a refrigerator or refrigerating-house, of al1 air-cooling chamber and a refrigerating-compartmene the former extending to or above the level ot' the latter and connected therewith by an opening or tine leading from the lower part of the ice-chamber, and also by another opening or ilue leading into the upper part of the ice-chamber, and said refrigerating-compartment having one or more imperforate partitions or lfioors extending from the wall of the compartment nearest the ice-chamber, and between said openings or flues horizontally across said apartment, and provided with openings at one or both ends, for the purpose of directing the How of the refrigerating air current, in the manner described.

4. The combination, Vin a refrigerator or refrigerating-house, of the iloors or partitions, forming a series of refrigeratingcompartments whose largest dimension is in a horizontal direction, and that are connected with each other, at their ends only, with valves to shut off the refrigerating-eurrent from any of said compartments, to enable a refrigerating air-current to be sent through all of said com partments successively, ora portion only of said compartments, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in the house A, ofthe ice-chamber B, provided with openings c c', with the compartments F FI F2 F3, without any intervening refrigerating-compartments, the latter opening into each other at Gr G1 Gr2 only, substantially as described.

D. W. C. SANFORD.

Witnesses GHAVs. D. MOODY, PAUL BAKEWELL. 

